Performance Assessment of Agave americana L. Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Slabs under a Humanitarian Engineering Approach in Peru

Abstract

Abstract– Plastic shrinkage cracking is one of the primary early-age deterioration mechanisms in rigid pavements exposed to variable environmental conditions. This study evaluated the effect of incorporating natural fibers from Agave americana L. on reducing surface cracking in full-scale concrete slabs. Four volumetric dosages (0.00%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1.00%) were analyzed, measuring average crack width, total crack length, cracked area, and crack frequency. Results demonstrated that the 0.75% dosage achieved complete suppression of measurable cracking, identifying a critical fiber density threshold required to stabilize the early-age tensile stress field. Statistical analysis confirmed a significant structural effect of fiber dosage on cracking behavior. From a humanitarian engineering perspective, agave fiber constitutes a technically efficient, locally available, and economically viable solution to enhance pavement resilience in resource-constrained urban environments.